Bulgaria's Minister Nataliya Efremova Announces Long-Term Care Reform

Minister of Labor and Social Policy Nataliya Efremova said Bulgaria's aging population will increase demand for care of the elderly and people with disabilities. She outlined a large‑scale reform of long‑term social services, including the renovation of existing municipal homes and the construction of about 200 new facilities financed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan, the Regional Development Programme and the Human Resources Development Programme.

The reform emphasises home‑based support such as personal assistants and mobile integrated social‑health services to prevent institutionalisation. A report presented at the inter‑ministerial working group showed that by 2025 nine new day‑care and residential services will serve roughly 220 disabled persons. Recent legislative changes also introduce criminal liability for unlicensed providers of social care.